In the fifth week of the US Chess
League, The Dallas Destiny continued their dominance in the Western Division,
this time defeating the L.A. Vibe 3-1 and distancing themselves from the rest
of the field. The two most dangerous teams in the east, New York and
Connecticut, met for the first time and traded wins on boards three and four
for a drawn match. The New Jersey Knockouts edged out the Manhattan Applesauce
to leapfrog them in the standings and catch up to New York and Connecticut in
the playoff hunt.Match of the WeekNew York Knights - Connecticut
Dreadnoughts 2-2

I'm sure a lot of fans were
looking forward to this match, since these two teams are two of the strongest
teams in USCL history. In my opinion, it didn't disappoint. Although GM
Kacheishvili - GM Hess on board one didn't see much action, GM Kekelidze - GM
Charbonneau on board two was very tense, with the advantage switching back and
forth a few times before finally simplifying out into a drawish endgame.Endgame of the WeekGM Vladimir Romanenko (MAN) vs GM Alex Stripunsky (NJ) 0-1

There were a lot of really
interesting endgames this week, but this one really stood out. To me it just
serves as a great example of giving 100%. GM Stripunsky took a seemingly dead
drawn queen endgame and ended up scoring the full point.There are a couple of lessons to
learn from this game:1) Repeat the Position -
When you are in the driver's seat, do not hurry, repeating the position not
only gives you more time (if you're playing with increment), but also tires
your opponent and gives them false hope that the game will soon be over. But
when you continue pressing this can frustrate the opponent into making errors,
which is exactly what happened in this game. 2) Activate the King - What
ultimatelywon the game for Black was the decisive king march to the
queenside, where White's queenside pawns were picked off and the newly created
passed a-pawn pushed ahead.3) Be Tenacious! - Many
players don't realize how often games are won because work and intense effort.
On the other hand, many worse positions are saved because the defender is
tenacious, looks for every saving chance, and makes it as hard as possible for
their opponent to win the game.Move of the WeekIM Levan Bregadze (STL) vs FM Curt
Collyer (SEA) 1-0

14.e5! This move is
not that hard to find, but I still think it's quite instructive and
aesthetically pleasing. By giving up the e-pawn White starts a powerful attack
on Black's weakened light squares. Believe it or not after 14 moves White's
position is already completely won! This is one of those cases where despite
the ugly doubled c-pawns, the real action is taking place on the kingside,
which means Black's Na5 is simply out of play. 14...dxe5 (14...Qxe6 was
another try, getting rid of the e6 pawn which ended up playing an important
role in the game, but White can get a decisive advantage with 15.Bxh7+ Kh8
16.exd6 Qxd6 17.Rfe1 Rfe8 18.Rad1 Qc6 19.Bg6+- It is clear that White's pieces
are far more active and Black's position is on the verge of collapse.) 15.Bxh7+
Kh8 16.Ng6+ Nxg6 17.Qxg6 Qe8 Forced, otherwise Qh5 and White wins (17...Qxe6?
18.Qh5 Rfe8 19.Bf5++-) 18.Qf5!

With the deadly threat of Qh3, Black's defense is again
forced: 18...g5 19.Bg6 Qe7 20.Rad1 A very natural move, bringing in
another piece into the fray. Notice how White's e6 pawn is a contributing to
the attack and is a major headache for Black. (A beautiful win was found by my
computer: 20.f4! exf4 21.Bxf4 gxf4 (21...Rad8 22.Bxg5! fxg5 23.Qh3+ Kg8
24.Rf7+-) 22.Qh5+ Kg8 23.Rxf4+- Followed by either Rh4 or Rg4, with an
irresistible attack.) 20...Bc6 21.Bf7

Setting up a mating threat--Qg6-h6# (21.f4! Was again
winning, but White's move is a more humane way to win the game) 21...Be8? A
blunder, it was necessary to give up the exchange, although the game wouldn't
have been prolonged by much. (The only way to continue resistance was through
21...Rxf7 22.exf7 Kg7 (22...Qxf7 23.Bxg5) 23.h4+- White is up material
and is breaking through) 22.Bxe8 and Black resigned in view of 23.Rd7
1-0